Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1887-03-14
ANNAPOLIs. NED. NoNDAY EYENINe, MARCEL IA. 1ss7.


had been wondering whether an
opportunity to see this famous dance
would occur during my tour through
India, and so when four or five of the
prettiest of these dusky damsels gath
cred around me, smiled ut me VIM
somely, ogled me with their bewitch-
ing black eyes, smiled again, smiled
separately, smiled unanimously, smiled
all over their senli-mahogany but new
ertheless not unhandsome faces.
There is no language more eloquent
or more easily understood, under GER
tain circumstances, than the language
of facial expression. No verbal ques-
ton or answer was necessary. / in
terpreted tn winsome smiles of the
Nautch dancers right and they inter
preted very quickly the permission to
60 ahead that revealed ITSELF in the
smile they had forced from me. Eight
of the twelve were commonplace girls
from IA to 1S. and the other four were
quite handsome, as handsome goes
among the Hindoos. Their arms were
bare of anything save bracelets, and
but scantily clothed, after the manner
and custom of all Hindoo females; but
an ample skirt of calico reached to the
ankles. Rings were on every toe, and
massive silver anklets, with tiny bells
attached, made music when they
walked or danced. They wore pro-
fusion of bracelets, necklaces of rubies,
head ornaments, earrings and pen
dants, and massive gold or brass
ring in the left nostril.
The Nautch girls arranged them
selves into half-circle, their scarlet
costumes forming bright crescent.
terminating at either end in a mass of
spectators, whose half-naked bodies,
varying in color from pale olive
to mahogany, were arrayed in cos
TUNES scarcely less snowy than the
dancers. The chaperone toms-toms,
an appropriate Nautch accompaniment
on drum with his fingers, and four
pretty girls advance from the half
circle, and, favoring me with quartet
of coquettish glances from their bright,
dark eyes, they commence to dance.
An idea seems. to prevail in occidental
minds that the Indian Nautch dance is
very naughty, thing, but nothing is
farther from the truth. OF course. it
can be made naughty, and, no doubt.
often is, but then so can many another
form of innocent amusement. The
proper Nautch dance is a decorous
and artistic performance when proper
ly danced; the graceful motions and
elegant proportions of the human form,
as revealed by 1.-THE and graceful dane
ers, are to be reviewed with an eye as
purely artistic and critical as Venus
or other production of the sculptor's
studio. Only the British matron"
wouldsconsider Nautch dance in any
degree indecorous. The four dancers
take the hem of their red garment be-
tween the thumb and finger of their
right hand, spreading its ample folds
into the figure of an open fan by bring
ing the outstretched arm almost on a
level to the shoulder. A mantle of
transparent muslin, fringed with silver
spangles, is worn about the head and
shoulders in the same indescribably
graceful manner as the mantiila of the
Spanish senorita. Raising a portion
of this aloft in the left hand and keep
ing the s.fan" intact with the right the
dancers twirl around and change posi-
tions with each other, their supple fig
ures. .neanwhile assuming variety of
graceful motions and postures from
time to time. Now they initiate the
spiral movements OF serpent, climb
ing around and upward on an imagi-
nary pole; again they assume charm
ing posture, their dusky countenances
half-hidden in seeming coquctry be-
hind the muslin mantle, the large red
fan waved gently TO and fro. the feet
unmoving, but the undulating motions
of the body and the trembling of the
limbs sufficing to jingle the tiny ankle
BELLS Thomas SteUeas, ia boston Her.
aid.
Two ancient Egyptian perfumes have